Not Taking it Well
by jhoom
Summary: Bura and Goten have been secretly dating for years. But since they plan on getting married, the time has come to tell their family and friends about their relationship. And some are handling it better than others. Rating mostly for my potty mouth.
1. Trunks

**AN:** This story is actually a series of one-shots showing how various members of the Z Senshi react to the news of Bura and Goten's impending marriage. Each chapter will deal with a different character's reaction. Not in chronological order.

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><p><strong>Not Taking it Well<br>****Chapter 1: Trunks **

Vegeta had taken it well. Surprisingly well. _Too_ damn well. Goten knew there'd be a catch somewhere. You don't just tell the Prince of all Saiyans that you're banging his only daughter and get away with it scot free. Well, to be fair to Vegeta, if Goten had phrased it like that, he'd probably never walk again – sensu beans or not. And it wasn't _just_ sex, anyway. And only an outsider to the Saiyan way of life would have considered the beating Goten had taken to be "getting away scot free."

But the fight had felt more like a test. He was giving Goten the chance to prove he was worry of marrying Bura. Vegeta had held back. A lot. He'd been exhausted at the end of the fight, bruised and bleeding, but the fact of the matter is, he'd _walked_ away. Nothing was broken and he was still breathing. Overall, a complete success in his book. Especially since he'd been expecting a lot worse.

So naturally he'd been suspicious. Maybe Vegeta would change his mind. Come after him in his sleep or after work one day and say "Fuck you, brat" and blast him.

Never in his life would he have thought the "catch" would be Trunks.

There was no denying it now, even though he was shocked beyond belief. Trunks had always been relatively calm and laid back. Didn't get worked up about anything. At least not compared to his parents or sister. But the look on Trunks' face right now left no doubt as to who his father was.

Maybe it really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise to Goten. Trunks had always been the over-protective big brother when he felt he had to be. When Bura had started school, she'd started younger than usual and skipped two grades. One of the bullies had made fun of her for being so small, had pushed her down and made her cry. That kid hadn't been in school the next day. Or the day after that. Two weeks later, when he finally reappeared, he was still on crutches and his nose had obviously been broken. The kid had been _half_ Trunks' age and size.

But Goten had thought it'd be different now. It's not as if he'd _hurt_ Bura. They were going to get married. And he and Trunks had been best friends since before they could even remember.

The look in Trunks' eyes as he swung his fist again didn't belong on his face. It'd never been there before. The pure fury. The utter _enjoyment_ seeing the blood spurt from Goten's nose. The complete lack of recognition in his eyes.

Goten had long ago stopped struggling. Had barely done more than deflect his friend's charges, kicks, punches, and ki blasts. He'd hoped Trunks would wear himself out, get his fill and say they were even. The next hit sent one of his teeth flying.

That's when he realized _Trunks wasn't going to stop._

The other demi-Saiyan had lost control, lost himself to his primal impulses. It wasn't until the blood dried that he'd realize what he'd done. That he'd killed his friend.

Trunks had Goten on his knees in front of him. He didn't even have the energy to stay up – Trunks had him by the collar. Even then, Goten had to hold on to Trunks' arm for support. Another punch. Another. Another.

Bura had tried to pull her brother off her mate. But he'd tossed her aside – albeit, somewhat gently – and had kept attacking. For a while there'd been a pattern. Trunks would charge, Bura would jump in between, he'd throw her aside, and would get a good two or three blows in before the process would start again.

But Bura was gone now. Goten's rapidly failing consciousness couldn't find her ki anywhere nearby. In his stupor, he wasn't sure if she'd abandoned him or not. All that was left was Trunks and Goten's increasingly limited field of view, becoming redder and more blurred with each punch.

Was the blood on Trunks' knuckles his own or Goten's?

He'd expected his life to flash before his eyes. Maybe he'd see a vision of his father coming to take him to the afterlife. He hoped it'd be an angelic Bura who came to comfort him.

Goten never did have much luck.

* * *

><p>It'd be hard to say what set him off. He wasn't really in a rational state of mind right now to try and analyze it.<p>

Goten was his best friend. He loved him like a brother. Fuck, they were closer than most _actual_ brothers, Goten and Gohan included. Which was why this was intolerable.

He'd entrusted this man with his sister. To protect her and take care of her, keep her away from all the pricks who tried to get in her pants. And instead this asshole had taken away her virginity and fucked her behind his back. He was worse than all the other guys because they were at least up front about what they wanted from his little sister.

Trunks knew the sound of his fist pummeling Goten's face should sicken him. But with the bitter taste of betrayal in his mouth, it was like music to his ears.

* * *

><p>Bura hadn't known what to do. She had to stop Trunks. Dende damn that asshole, he was going to kill her mate.<p>

She'd tried to do it herself. She'd come a long way from the little girl who wore the short red skirt with the midriff, gloves and boots. She'd made her dad teach her how to fight since then. Admittedly, she was no champion fighter by any means, but she could sure as hell piss Trunks off in a spar if the mood struck her. But for the life of her, she couldn't distract him.

No, for _Goten's_ life.

Eventually she'd given off trying to throw herself between the two male Saiyans. Goten wasn't fighting back. She loved the man, but this was not the time to let Trunks be the dominant friend in their little duo.

She was a smart girl. A lot like her mother, really. So when she realized none of the three of them were going to be able to stop this, her mind went immediately to someone who would.

_Daddy._

What she lacked in brute strength, she made up for in speed. She was _fast._ As she raced to the GR – where else would he be? – she remembered how she and her brother used to run laps together around the compound. Even at an early age, she'd been faster. She'd always figured it was because she was smaller, had a slighter frame. Now she thought maybe she was this fast because there'd be a time when she _needed_ to be that fast. And if there were ever such a time...

Bura didn't even need to explain. She'd broken the door to get into the room. Her desperate look and busted lip had his attention. When Vegeta stretched his mind out to find the cause of her distress, he just followed her. Words would have been useless.

Vegeta didn't let himself think about what was going on in front of him. There was no judgment for or against either man as he took in what could only be considered a slaughtering. There was only action. The kick to his son's torso was quick and efficient. It knocked him about a hundred yards away, leaving Goten to collapse like a ragdoll.

He refrained from showing or feeling any emotion as his daughter went to cradle the limp form of her lover. Perhaps that was a lie. Some undesired concern swept through him for the boy who was in some ways like a (rather annoying) son to him. In some ways. But the emotion was cut off before it could fully form as he felt Trunks rush forward.

If the circumstances had been different, Vegeta might have been proud of the Saiyan impulses his son was choosing (or allowing himself) to indulge in. The merciless way he went after his enemy again and again, and would do so until said enemy was a pile of dust at his feet. But this enemy was his daughter's mate. His death would mean hers.

So Vegeta did what came naturally to him. As the boy flew past him, he plucked him out of the air and slammed him straight down. Hard. Perhaps harder than he'd ever hit his son before.

Trunks hit the ground with a thud, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, both Bulma and Chichi were in the infirmary, fussing over their boys. Neither would actually acknowledge the cause of their little "tiff," who was waiting outside of the room with her father.<p>

Both of them were leaning against the wall facing the door, monitoring the ki's in the other room. Both had their arms crossed on their chest. Both were frowning – one with concern, the other with annoyance.

"You could have handled this better, girl."

"I don't think there's a good way to say 'Hey, I've been nailing your sister since she was 16,'" she snapped.

Vegeta's face went bright red in fury. Whoops. When they'd told him, they'd left out the sixteen years old part. But she knew she was in the clear – for now – when her father just growled instead of rushing in to finish the job Trunks had started, though he glared menacingly at the door.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know we could've maybe done it a little better. But Goten was so damn sure Trunks wouldn't freak out."

Her father raised an eyebrow. "You weren't sure?"

A long pause. "No." Vegeta obviously expected more of an explanation, so she groaned. "We were pretty sure _one_ of you would act like a jackass. Goten figured you would. I… thought it would probably be Trunks."

Vegeta wasn't quite sure what to make of that. _He_ hadn't been sure he wouldn't kill the brat until the moment he didn't. And between him and his son, he had never been considered the more reasonable one. But apparently his daughter knew them better than they themselves did.

"And what, exactly, made you think I wouldn't beat your pathetic excuse for a mate into the dust?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I figured you could relate. I mean… Let's face it, none of this was exactly Goten's idea. I'm the one who chased _him._" Vegeta made a face at the very notion that his daughter did any such thing. Bura had the good sense not to laugh. "And maybe I thought you could relate. I mean, a blue-haired genius going out of her way to get you into a relationship you probably would have never considered on your own…" She shrugged again. "Just figured you could empathize a little more."

Vegeta just blinked at her, completely at a loss for words. Damnit, he didn't want to feel _sorry_ for the bastard. But he had to admit, she had a point.


	2. Vegeta

**Not Taking It Well  
>Chapter 2: Vegeta<strong>

"Bura, we need to talk about this."

"No we don't."

"You can't just ignore this-"

"Fuck you."

Goten sighed. Talking to Bura – or Bulma or Trunks or Vegeta – when she was this worked up was like talking to a brick wall. Which was unfortunate, because they _really_ needed to talk about this. As soon as possible.

"Bura," he did his best to use a calm voice, did his best to break through the crazy, "I think we should tell people about us." He took a deep breath and held it. He'd thought this conversation over a million times, weighed out each word he wanted to say, imaged all the ways she could possibly react. Best case scenario, she'd agree and they could figure out how they wanted to tell people. Worst case scenario… Well, he probably wouldn't survive the worst case scenario.

"_No._" With her arms crossed over her chest like that and the scowl furrowing her brow, Goten really wished she didn't take after her father. "End of discussion."

It took a lot to get a Son's blood boiling. Goten was by all accounts a reasonable guy. Nice. Understanding. But damnit, it was really aggravating to have his _own mate_ disregard his opinion so blatantly.

"Dende, Bura, you need to fucking listen to me. You can't just ignore me because you don't like what I have to say."

Bulma could've told him. The last way to talk a Vegeta down was to let yourself get pissed off.

The blue-eyed heiress' eyes narrowed dangerously. The venom coming from her glare would have made her royal ancestors proud. "Excuse me?"

But he was still too pissed off to care that her ki was slowly rising. "This relationship isn't just between Bura and Bura. Since I'm at least half-involved, I feel like I should have a fucking say in whether or not we fucking tell our family and friends."

"You better watch it before this 'relationship' no longer exists."

"It's been _seven years. _Are you that afraid of telling people? Or do you enjoy sneaking around for a quick fuck every couple nights? Because that doesn't seem like an actual 'relationship' so much as a series of one night stands."

"Get out of my house."

He looked at her incredulously. "What?"

"I told you. Discussion over. Get out."

"Dende, what the hell is wrong with you!" He threw up his hands in exasperation. He could _not_ be hearing this.

"GET OUT!"

"NO!"

She was taken aback for just a moment. Bura was a screamer, but Goten was supposed to be the level-headed one. She got upset and it was his job to calm her down and fix things. That was the balance they'd struck, and it had worked for them so far. Normally she might find his desire to exert his dominance attractive (i.e. hot) if this weren't so serious.

He took advantage of her hesitation. He lowered his voice, but it still had an angry edge to it. "I'm not leaving until we actually have a DISCUSSION about this."

Bura had had enough. She could not deal with discussing this right now. So she decided it was time to play her ace in the hole.

So she lowered her voice too, but the evil look in her eyes never faded. In fact they seemed to twinkle. The smirk she gave made him shiver. Goten knew enough to be wary. "This is your last chance to leave. Right now."

While he was concerned, he knew backing down now would be admitting defeat. "I can't do that, Bura."

"_Fine._" For a full five seconds she drew in a deep breath. As soon as she started letting it out, Goten wished he'd realized where this was going.

"DADDY!"

Goten's face paled and he was utterly speechless. She wasn't that cruel. He should've done something then. But instead he stood there frozen as he felt her ki skyrocket and saw her take in another deep breath.

"DADDY!"

His heart sank. Oh Dende, he could feel Vegeta's ki in the Gravity Room flare slightly. Could feel it moving slowly their way. Five minutes. Max.

"DADD-" He managed to get behind her and clamp his hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. But he knew it was useless. Vegeta was on his way.

"Bura," he hissed in her ear, pulling her close. "This is _really fucking dangerous._" But her ki level stayed the same. It was still a bright signal fire to any ki-sensing person within the city limits. "Please please _please_ call off your father."

She didn't react, didn't move. That was answer enough.

Two minutes.

Goten debated with himself. He could leave now, save his ass the beating that would inevitably ensue if he was caught like this with Vegeta's daughter. Or he could stay, let Vegeta figure things out. He'd force Bura to admit they were dating. And then feel like a dick about it.

How the fuck did this end up with him seeming like the asshole?

One minute.

So in the end, he decided he wouldn't force her hand like that. He pushed away from her a little more roughly than he needed to. Didn't wait to see if she'd turn around to look at him as he used Instant Transmission. Mostly because he knew she wouldn't.

Bura had barely composed herself by the time her father burst into the room.

Vegeta looked his daughter up and down. She looked like she was about to cry on top of being obviously pissed off and agitated. And Goten – who he had sensed in her seconds ago – was no where to be seen and his ki wasn't anywhere near the vicinity of Capsule Corps.

Suspicious? Yeah. Just a bit.

But he just raised an eyebrow at his youngest child. "Well, girl?"

And there was his little girl again. Composed. Poised. In control. "False alarm."

"You're going to call me from my training and then not even tell me what the fuck all that was about?" It came out a little harsher than he meant it to, but it was annoying to have to come all the way over here. If she was going to use him to achieve her ends, he could at least make her feel bad about it.

"It was nothing." A slight pause. "I'm sorry for calling you down here."

"If there's a problem between you and Kakkarott's brat…" he began slowly. He wasn't sure whether he was offering to listen to her or to beat up the kid.

"It's fine, Daddy. I can handle this."

He didn't look convinced. For a moment he watched her. Probably waiting to see if she would change her mind and offer more information. When he saw that this was unlikely to be the case, he shrugged. If it were important (by which he meant, directly relevant to him), she'd tell him when she felt it was appropriate.

After her father left and had been gone a reasonable amount of time, Bura let herself break down. She hated being such a bitch to Goten. Hated manipulating her father like that. But didn't Goten realize she was just trying to protect him? There was 100% chance of bodily harm being done to him once it got out that had been seeing each other since she was a teenager.

And it would _not_ help matters when they all found out she was pregnant.

* * *

><p>After their argument, they'd been so pissed off that they'd avoided each other for a couple days. They were giving themselves and their partner enough time to cool off before getting back to the "talk." But they were never very good at staying away. Or keeping their hands off each other. So as always, they kissed and made up.<p>

In the end, Bura had relented. There was really no way to avoid people finding out now, anyway. The sooner they told people, the more damage control they could do.

Bura's stomach did flips as she thought about it. She'd been a nervous wreck when she told _Goten_ about the baby. The prospect of telling other people was… terrifying.

"_Hey guys, Goten and I have been sleeping together for years and we're actually about to get married. By the way, I'm pregnant and due about two months after the date we picked for the wedding."_

She wondered how big a crater the combined blast of her brother and father would be.

Telling her father was not going to be pleasant. So she enlisted back-up. Her mother. Gohan. And of course, Goten. Four rational people – four of the few people Vegeta actually listened to – should help minimize collateral damage / the death toll.

It surprised her how unconcerned her mother and Gohan were. While she had faith in her father, he was still somewhat of a loose cannon at times. She wondered what they knew that she didn't, but the more she thought about it, the less she actually wanted to know.

Now Bura found herself in the Gravity Room with said group, her father standing a few feet away.

Vegeta nodded to them. Apparently that was all the greeting they were to expect. He just stood there waiting. A dark look clouded his features as he made eye contact with Gohan.

"Daddy…" Damn, she hated how much her voice was trembling. Goten grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Vegeta did not miss the movement. His eyes narrowed and he appraised Bulma and the Saiyan escort suspiciously. Almost knowingly.

"Vegeta." Everyone's eyes turned to Goten.

_What the fuck is he doing! I thought he agreed _I _should do the talking… _Obviously Vegeta would be less inclined to "kill the messenger" if it was his own child.

"What, brat?" Strangely, Bura noted, his sneer wasn't as pronounced as she would have expected.

Goten stepped forward, his hand not leaving hers. "I would like to ask for your permission to marry your daughter."

No one ever gave Goten enough credit. His mother had never hounded him to be a "scholar." He didn't have Gohan's fancy law degree. He wasn't a genius like Bura or Trunks. But he wasn't an idiot. If they had come in here and _told_ Vegeta what was going to happen, that could not have gone over well. But if he appealed to the prince's pride and _asked_ him _politely_, showed him some respect, he stood a chance of having a couple less bones broken.

There was dead silence. It was quite possible none of them were breathing. Bura was sure her heart had completely stopped.

Eventually, Vegeta just hmphed. He crossed his arms over his chest and straightened to his full height. Even if he was several inches shorter than Goten, he still looked intimidating as hell. "I was wondering when you were going to get the balls to actually _ask_," he nearly spit at the younger Saiyan. But Bura was surprised to see that there was almost amusement in his eyes. Anger, yes. But it was subdued.

Goten didn't reply. He just waited for an answer.

Vegeta seemed to be appraising the boy. Admittedly, not a boy anymore. He hmphed again. "Let's spar." There was a momentary pause as the group digested what he was saying. "Prove to me you deserve her."

He couldn't help grinning. "Yes, sir."

As the two flew off – with Gohan, of course, to act as referee – to find a secluded location to spar and really do some damage, Bura felt tears rolling down her cheeks. This had gone way better than she thought it would and the relief she felt was overwhelming.

Bulma rubbed her daughter's back reassuringly. "See sweetie, I told you it'd be fine. Your father _can_, on occasion, be reasonable."

Bura smiled at her mother. She wasn't sure what the details were, but she had the feeling that both her mother and future brother-in-law had a hand in her father's easy acceptance.

And for that, she would be eternally grateful.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I know I didn't spend a whole time on Vegeta's actual reaction. While it would be amazing and epic to have a Vegeta freak out / tantrum, the last chapter and my one-shot "Meditation" sort of explain my thought process as to why he takes it so well. By the way, the first part of this chapter where Vegeta walks in after the argument is when Vegeta's suspicions are first raised (as mentioned in said one-shot).

Next chapter: Pan.


	3. Pan

**Not Taking it Well  
>Chapter 3: Pan<strong>

The girls had spent the whole day together. They'd sparred in the morning. Gotten manicures after lunch. Hung out at the mall. Spent a ton of money on new outfits. Watched Pan's favorite movies. And now they were at Pan's favorite restaurant, enjoying Pan's favorite meal at Pan's favorite table.

Honestly, Bura felt like a guy trying to butter up his girlfriend and pop the question.

If only she were so lucky.

Bura and Goten hadn't told anyone yet. Bura still didn't want to tell anyone. But seeing how in a few months they'd have to explain how another demi-Saiyan happened to appear, she had to just get it over with. Even Bura wasn't a good enough liar to cover that one up.

They'd both agreed that Pan would be the best place to start. Bura's best friend, Goten's niece… and the least likely to beat one (or both) of them into the ground. Pan was the person was the best person to test the waters with. However she reacted would give them a good idea how bad the blowout would be from the rest of the group.

_Oh Dende, I do _not_ want to think about that,_ Bura thought as she tried to force down a wave of nausea. The quickest way for her to lose her lunch was to think about having to tell her parents or brother about this. Yes, Pan was _definitely_ the safest person to tell.

Not that Pan wasn't becoming suspicious. Bura had paid for the whole day – all the clothes, the manicures, and now dinner. Bura may be nice and rich, but she didn't throw money around (even for her friends) just for the hell of it.

Pan knew damn well that Bura could be manipulative if she wanted to be.

_But what on earth does she _want_?_ That's the only thing Pan couldn't figure out. So she mentally shrugged and went back to enjoying her fifth entrée.

They had nearly exhausted all possible topics of conversation. Sparring. Family. Friends. School. Work. Movies. Gossip. Which meant Bura didn't really have an excuse now.

"Pan… I was wondering if we could talk about something…" She'd barely eaten anything. Her stomach was turning in knots. She was actually terrified of actually telling someone.

Pan stopped eating and cocked en eyebrow. She thought it was somewhere between cute and hilarious how nervous Bura looked. The last time she looked that nervous, Bura was twelve and was trying to build some… _something_. So she'd taken a few components from the control panel of the Gravity Chamber. As her punishment, Bulma had made her tell her father what she'd done. Pan tried not to giggle at the memory. Giggling _probably_ wouldn't make her friend confide in her.

"I figured there was something up," she said instead, crossing her arms and trying to suppress a smile. "So… you dating my ex or something?"

"Ahahaha," Bura's nervous laugh died after a few seconds. "Ahem," she coughed slightly. She'd tried to plan it all out before hand. The best way to broach the subject. The perfect way to phrase it. But in the end, she just ended up blurting it out. "I'mdatingGotenandwe'regonnagetmarried."

This time Pan couldn't help but laugh. She guessed this was Bura's way of breaking the tension before saying whatever it was she wanted to get off her chest. "Okay, seriously B-chan, what's up?"

Bura's hands just twisted nervously on her lap. She couldn't take her eyes off her untouched dinner.

_Alright, I'll play along._ "Okay, so how long have you been dating Goten?"

"Since I was 16."

Pan's jaw dropped. What the hell kind of joke had her uncle sleeping with a girl eight years younger than him when she was still in high school? "Bura, that's just… inappropriate. C'mon. Knock it off before I get pissed." Her finger was pointed accusingly at her friend, but luckily her ki hadn't risen.

"Pan," she sighed, resting her head in her hands, "I am being completely serious." _She's pissed and she doesn't even believe me yet. Greeeeat._

The dark-haired Saiyan was eyeing her friend, who was rubbing her temples. Was this for real? "Let's pretend for a moment that I believe you." Bura opened her eyes. She did not look thrilled to be having this conversation. "You've been dating Goten for…"

"Seven years," she supplied.

"… Seven years? Geez. You two have been dating for seven years. Secretly, right?"

"You're the first one we've told."

Pan, even though she was pretty sure she didn't believe it yet, couldn't help but feel pleased that she was the first to find out.

"Okay. Secretly dating for seven years. Why would you tell someone me now?"

"We're getting married in a few months." Never one to do something half-assed, Bura figured it was best to just come out and say it. "And I'm pregnant."

If she'd been drinking at the time, she would've spewed all over the table. If she'd been eating, she would've choked. If she'd been standing, she would've fallen flat on her ass. But since she wasn't doing any of those things, she did what could only come naturally to Chichi's granddaughter. She stood up, hands flung over her head, and screeched, "YOU SLEPT WITH MY UNCLE AND HE GOT YOU PREGNANT!"

Apparently Pan believed her now. And had a way of making this whole thing sound like a sleazy soap opera. All in all, she'd hoped it would go better.

"Oh Dende," Bura groaned as the rather large, very expensive five-star restaurant went silent. She was pretty sure about a dozen cell phones came out to snap pictures. Thank god only her mother read tabloids, because she was sure this little outburst would be all over the front cover next week. Guess she had a timeline on when she had to tell her mom…

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER! SEVEN YEARS!"

Normally Bura was more than happy to let Pan's tantrums, few as they were, fizzle out on their own. It was a courtesy Pan had extended to Bura on numerous occasions, because, let's face it, both could be a little high maintenance. But this was _ridiculous._

"Sit down," she hissed. "You are making a scene."

Pan 's eyes were still wide with shock and she didn't seem ready to go back to her indoor voice quite yet. She sucked in some air, about to start on what Bura was sure would be a long rant, when Bura growled. "Sit. Down. _Now._" It was more of a snarl than anything else. Despite her near-hysteria, Pan instinctively did as she was told. She'd learned at a young age that when a Vegeta growled, you needed to do as you were told. Immediately.

"You done?" She was back to being back on human levels of annoyance with her friend's outburst.

Pan just nodded. She couldn't find the words yet to respond.

Bura looked around the restaurant, glaring at anyone who was still watching the two girls – however subtly – until they went back to their meals. She then turned back to her friend. Her _best_ friend, she reminded herself. _She's had a shock to her system. Give her a break. _

"Pan." At her name, she seemed to snap out of it. "This is a good thing. I love your uncle. He loves me." She waited, but Pan didn't say anything. She sighed. "Really looking for some support here, Pan."

Long silence. It was so quiet she could hear everything the nearby diners were saying.

"Why are you telling me all this _now_?"

Somehow the obvious "shotgun wedding" answer didn't seem like the best way to answer. "Pan…" she started. "It's gotten to the point where we can't really hide it for much longer. We've gotta… you know, tell people. We've been keeping it a secret for two obvious reasons-"

"I'm guessing those two reasons are named Vegeta and Trunks?" Bura's uncomfortable expression said it all. "I get it Bura. Really, I do. I know why you wouldn't tell _them._ But why wouldn't you tell _me_? I mean… seven years?"

Bura was quiet. She didn't really have an answer to that. "It's just…" she started, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "The whole… age difference… my family wanting to kill him if they found out… I… I really didn't think it would _last._ I figured he'd realize I'm just… not worth the trouble."

Pan didn't know what to say to that. "B-chan-"

Bura didn't want to hear any sympathy right now. They could deal with her insecurities later. "You and me, we've been friends since before I can remember. I _need_ my best friend behind me on this. If I can't count on _you_ for support, I…" Tears started to well in her eyes. She really couldn't do this without Pan behind her.

"Bura… This is a lot… to process…"

"I know."

"I'm going to need some time to… think about all this." _Not in _too_ much, though,_ she thought. The specifics of her best friend and her uncle she was more than willing to ignore. But she knew that Bura had been head over heels for Goten since they thought boys had cooties. And even Pan hadn't been able to ignore the way Goten looked at her friend when he thought no one was looking. She took her friend's hand. "But I'm totally behind you two."

"Thank you." Bura wiped at the tears in her eyes.

"Assuming you're making me maid of honor."

Bura laughed. "I value my life too much not to."

"And B-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you two and all… But I'm totally going to have a talk with Goten about this."

"Honestly, Pan," Bura's eyes light with a mischievous energy. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> A little bit shorter than the previous two chapters, but I wanted to give Bura a little break from the stress of having to tell her family. Bulma's the next chapter and I promise it will be fun.


	4. Bulma

**Not Taking it Well  
>Chapter 4: Bulma<strong>

Bulma was an understanding person. I mean, she didn't have _any_ problems as a kid with Goku having a tail, or Master Roshi being a goddamn perv, and Piccolo being _green_ for Dende's sake. _Green._ And of course her husband being an alien. She had managed to stay friends with Yamcha after their break-up all those years ago. She could play nice with 18, even if she HAD killed all her friends in some alternate future.

Sure, she might freak out a little bit sometimes (she ignored the mental "hmph" her mental Vegeta gave at that), but in the end she always came through for her friends and family. That's how understanding she was.

But _this_?

This was just too much.

* * *

><p>It was Valentine's Day.<p>

Translation for Bura: THE most romantic day of the year. Translation for Goten: Day he was forced to take Bura to a fancy restaurant, buy her flowers and chocolates, send her a ridiculously cliché card, and overall easy day to earn brownie points. A sentiment which most of the men of Z Senshi had picked up years ago. Fighting Frieza, Cell, Buu, or Baby? Kind of fun in that oh-no-we-all-might-day sorta way. Dealing their enraged significant others? HELL no.

Which was why Gohan was preparing a romantic candlelight dinner for Videl. And Trunks had flown Marron halfway around the world to Paris to dine near the Eiffel Tower. And Krillin had gotten Bulma's help getting into this really high-class restaurant. And why Vegeta had been forced to dust off that ridiculous tux his blasted wife had gotten him years ago and put to use those mortifying dance lessons he'd been subjected to. Even Goku had remembered long enough to come back from whatever ridiculous training he was currently doing and spend some time with Chichi.

And of course, that's why the recently engaged Goten and Bulla had decided to have a romantic, low-key picnic in the park on the Capsule Corps grounds. A relatively risky place to go on a date – _on_ the Saiyan prince's very own property – but a couple quick ki checks told them that everyone was _far_ from West City. _Perfect._

They sat in a clearing in the woods under a cloudless sky, watching the changing colors as the sun set. Letting the stars and fireflies light them as they savored their dessert under the canopy of leaves and flowers just beginning to bud. Even if it weren't an uncharacteristically warm February, the gentle ki levels they radiated kept each other comfortable.

Honestly, the two were so in love that it wouldn't have mattered how romantic the scenery was. Not to mention that they were still riding the high of Pan being really good about the two of them. She'd even agreed to be maid of honor and help with some of the early wedding plans. AND – which was a _total_ bonus – she wouldn't tell anyone about them until they decided to give the green light.

It was starting to get late when they finally agreed to head back. There was no real reason to – it was still relatively early. Even if everyone they knew wasn't on a romantic escapade, no one would have been back before eight.

They took their time walking back. Hand-in-hand, they would alternate between inane chatter and simply enjoying each other's company.

Goten couldn't help but feel content as he thought about how much he loved this woman. How comfortable they were together and the calming effect her presence brought him. He sometimes wondered if this was how all couples felt with their mates, but he would always dismiss the question. He didn't care how other people felt, and frankly he didn't _want_ other people to have what they had. They were special. _She_ was special. Enough said.

Always the gentleman, he held the door open for her when they got to the back door leading into the impressive Capsule Corps kitchen. Bura gave him a devilishly coy smile as she walked past, one that screamed "thank you" and "come get me" at the same time.

Something about the way she sashayed her hips back and forth enticed his human side, and the way she carried herself (like nothing in the universe would get in her way) had his Saiyan side biting at the bit to get to her.

In the three seconds it took for the door to slam shut, he was all over her.

He had her backed up against the island, hands on either side of her to keep her from escaping. But her arms were already around his neck and her hands were staking claim to his hair. He nuzzled and nipped at her neck, breathing in her smell which was made all the more alluring by the grassy and floral undertones from their picnic.

Goten didn't know when he'd lost his shirt, but he loved feeling her hands move across his chest and back. He wasn't sure which one of them had taken off her shirt, but it was heaven to feel her soft skin against his. She moaned into his kiss as he pulled her legs around his waist and he very much hated that their lower bodies were still clothed…

And then the kitchen light turned on.

* * *

><p>Bulma was deciding if she was in a bad mood or not. While it was uncharacteristically romantic of her husband to take her dancing, it was <em>very<em> characteristically Vegeta to leave early to go spar with Goku. She wasn't sure if the earlier part of their date balanced out getting ditched at the fancy club. Wait, no… it definitely did _not_ balance out.

At least she didn't have to worry about punishing Goku for the intrusion – she was pretty sure Chichi would handle that.

So she left the dance club, miffed and completely alone. Story of her married life. _Oh well, it's not like I didn't know what I was getting into when I married that Saiyan bastard._

Never one to miss an opportunity, she stopped by the office on her way back home. After changing and showering in her private lab, Bulma finished up and submitted a couple designs for new projects she wanted the company to start on ASAP. Then she double-checked Trunks' stack of work to make sure it was actually getting done – an old habit that she really shouldn't be indulging in anymore. Honestly, he was a grown man. He should have this figured out by now.

Even with her little trip to the office, it was still an embarrassingly early hour to be coming home. Alone. On Valentine's Day.

_NO Gravity Room for a month_, she decided as she encapsulated her car and headed inside.

Her stomach growled as she made her way to the kitchen. Vegeta had been so eager to spar he'd left before they'd even gotten a chance to have dinner. Even for a Saiyan, he seemed to have mixed up his priorities. Honestly, it should have been dinner, sex THEN sparring. Instead he chose sparring, dinner and an absolute lack of sex. She could not emphasize enough _how little _sex he would be having because of this. In fact, he had chosen to enjoy the next week on the not so comfortable couch in the living room.

Bulma was still concocting plans of revenge on the prince she loved / hated in almost equal measure when she flicked on the light to the kitchen, hoping to grab some leftovers and head to bed early or take a relaxing bubble bath.

Instead, she flicked on the light and wished she had been born blind, because there was NO WAY she could wash this image from her eyes. Not if she lived to be a thousand could she forget the spectacle before her, so branded was it in her mind.

There was her little girl, half naked, wrapped around Son Goten of all people. Son Goten, Chichi's good little boy who never did a thing wrong in his life, the one Bulma had visited in the hospital when he was born and had babysat for years, who was her son's best friend in the world… and who also happened to be missing his shirt and had his arms around her daughter.

The couple had frozen when the light went on. They slowly turned to face Bulma, all three of them with that deer-in-the-headlights look. They just starred at each other for what must have been several minutes until finally Bura pushed Goten away and jumped off the kitchen island.

"Mom!" she yelled as she looked for her shirt and threw it on. "What are you doing home so early?" She threw Goten's shirt into his chest, which he caught reflexively, but he still had a dazed look and didn't seem to be quite yet ready to move or speak.

"Bura. Dining Room. Goten. Out. NOW."

Goten automatically turned to leave – it had been drilled into all the Earth-born Saiyans at a young age to listen to their mothers and, really, _any_ woman who had the same authoritative tone – but Bura grabbed his arm and whispered something. Bulma watched, arms crossed over her chest as she heard her daughter tell him to wait outside.

"Bura," Bulma snapped as a warning, then turned into the adjoining room, expecting her daughter to follow.

"Yes, mom?" Bulma would have been more upset if Bura had sounded calm and collected about all this, but she couldn't help but be pleased when she heard a slight quiver in the younger genius' voice.

"You mind explaining to me what the fuck that was that I just walked in on?" She was surprised how easily she kept control of her own tone. She had all of the "angry parent" she was going for and managed to keep out all of the "freaked-out mother" from being too obvious.

"I… uh… well…" Bura coughed nervously. "Well, when two people-"

"BURA!" Bulma's face was scarlet, whether from anger or embarrassment, neither was sure.

"Sorry," she said as she rung her hands together.

Silence reigned for a moment as they each tried to figure out where to go from here.

"Your shirt's on inside out."

Bura blushed but just nodded in response.

Finally, Bulma sighed and let her shoulders slump a little. She was honestly too tired for this. "Why were you and Goten going at it in my kitchen?"

Bura muttered something incomprehensible. An annoyed tap of her mother's foot made her repeat herself. "Because we didn't think anyone would be home so early…"

Bulma was absolutely scandalized by the answer. Not because the answer seemed to be honest, but because her daughter would admit to it. "And do you two have a habit of making out whenever the Compound is empty?"

"No! I mean… Not _every_ time…"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!"

The girl fidgeted under her mother's gaze. She hadn't been interrogated like this since she was a child, and she had _hated _it then. And back then, the worst thing she had to hide was that she had broken something. Now, it was that she was pregnant and had been secretly dating her mother's best friend's son.

_God, it really DOES sound like a cheesy soap opera…_

Though Bura couldn't help but be thankful for her mother's timing. While not exactly ideal, if Bulma had come back ten or fifteen minutes later, she was sure a meeting in the dining room between the two women would NOT have been the outcome. In fact, she was pretty sure her mother would have immediately found her father or brother to handle things themselves…

Her mother interrupted her worrying with another tap of the foot. "I'm waiting, Bura."

Bura's arms slumped in defeat, unconsciously mimicking her mother's tired pose. _I was going to tell her sometime this week anyway…_ "Goten and I… have been dating for a while."

Bulma raised on eyebrow, intrigued. Bura had always had a crush on the older Saiyan, but Goten seemed too oblivious to the advances of the pretty young girl. She had always supposed it was only a matter of time before he finally noticed and fell under Bura's spell. While normally this might have satisfied her, knowing the two youngest half-Saiyans had decided to pair up, she could tell there was more to it than that. "Go on."

She cleared her throat. "We've been dating for…" she briefly considered giving the real number, but decided this wasn't the time, "… a while now. We're in love." _ALWAYS start with the "we're in love" stuff before moving on to the "by the way we're getting married because I'm knocked up."_

"In love?"

"Yes." She stood up a little straighter. "A few weeks ago, Goten asked him to marry him and I said yes."

A long pause. "My daughter is marrying Son Goten?"

She nodded. She was slightly concerned – her mother's voice up 'til now was strangely flat and emotionless. Like she was too busy digesting the information to actually have formed an opinion about it one way or the other.

"Well, you could each do worse..."

Bura glared at her mother. Even if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, it did nothing to diminish how easily her temper could flare up. "Hardly the level of approval I was hoping for, _Mother_."

"Well, _daughter_, I don't really like finding out my daughter is dating someone by walking in on the two of them. In my kitchen. Half-dressed." Her voice was level but inside she was still extremely unsettled. Like all good parents, she liked to pretend her children were the chastest of virgins. Any evidence to the contrary needed to be burned or ignored. Unfortunately she could do neither at the moment.

"UGH!" Bura's arms went up in frustration. "You seriously _cannot_ be complaining about that! I mean, yeah, totally not the most responsible thing or whatever. And I'm sure it's like traumatic or something, but- But _Mom!_" She could barely find words at this point. "_Do you have any idea how many times Trunks and I have walked in on worse!" _She watched her mother turn very white this time. "I mean, geez, at least Goten and I were still mostly _dressed_-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! I do NOT need to hear more about that!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed at the oncoming headache. Dende, she felt old right now. "I know we had 'the talk' when you were younger, so please just tell me you two are being... _careful._" The lack of response was worse than anything she could have imagined her daughter saying. "Bura..." she said as she eyed the girl.

"Yeeeeah, about that..." Seeing that this was as good a time as any to actually say it, she added, "I'm pregnant."

"NANI! Bura, you're PREGNANT?" She didn't mean to overreact. But she couldn't help it. She'd JUST found out her daughter – who had NEVER had a serious relationship in her LIFE – actually had been IN a serious relationship for some unspecified length of time and was PREGNANT. Worst Valentine's Day _EVER_.

Bura winced at the pitch her mother's voice took. "Yep."

"Bura! There's no way you could have been PLANNING to get pregnant! How could you two be so… irresponsible! I mean, you two just aren't _ready _to have a child-"

"Excuse me," Bura snapped, hands going to her hips in what her mother immediately recognized as a defensive and aggressive pose, "isn't that a little _hypocritical_ of you?"

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean, young lady?"

"I don't exactly remember it being a part of the story that you and Dad sat down together and had a nice heart-to-heart before deciding to have Trunks. As I recall, even _I _was an accident, so don't get all high and mighty and talk to me about 'planning' to have kids."

Bulma flushed at the low blow. "That's completely different! I was older than you-"

"Then shouldn't you have known better?"

"WHAT I MEANT is that I was more _prepared_ to deal with having a child." Dende, she hated arguing with her children or her husband. The three of them knew exactly where to strike to make her feel less in control. Probably something that carried over from fighting, some underlying Saiyan instinct. Or maybe they were just good at arguing.

"At least _my _mate was supportive when he first found out-"

"BURA BRIEFS VEGETA! THAT IS _ENOUGH_!"

"Sorry," Bura muttered. Apparently this was a sensitive topic for her mother. Though Bura wondered if it had something to do with the fact that her dad had seemed to abandon her on Valentine's Day. At any rate, it probably wasn't helping.

The two women starred at each other. They both knew yelling wasn't going to resolve this. They had the rest of their lives to sort this out. Bulma only had right now to let her daughter know she could be okay with. "So when's the wedding?"

"In sixth months." Another pause. "You'll come to the wedding, right?"

"Oh, honey," Bulma said, tearing up a little. "How could you even ask me that?" She rushed forward and swept her daughter up in a massive hug. "And I want to be in the delivery room when my first grandson is born."

"Or granddaughter."

"Or granddaughter."

She heard her daughter sniffle a little. "Thanks, Mom." A couple more sniffles. "Please don't tell Daddy yet."

Bulma in no way shape or form wanted to tell Vegeta about this. _Ever._ It had been bad enough telling him about Trunks and Bura. Telling him he was going to be a grandfather AND that the child would also be related to Goku... Bulma did not envy Bura and Goten that conversation. "Of course, not sweetie."

Even with all she'd been overwhelmed with, Bulma was sure there was more going on. She was not at all pleased with some of the things she'd found out, and she would have a serious talking to with Goten. But for now, she was willing to let it go and support her daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Next chapters will probably be Gohan and Videl, and then Goku and Chichi. Last chapter will probably be an epilogue about the wedding itself.


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